Part.26

Minutes, hours, days passed and there was still been no word on Ellie or even a clue as to where she may have been or who kidnapped her. Emotions were at an all-time high for everybody involved, including the cops who were now starting to voice the fact that instead of waiting on a call they should be out there combing the woods for… remains. As long as they’d been in the system finding a baby live and well after 48hours was a miracle and they didn’t come as many would have liked. Ellie had been missing for nearly a week and… Well some just felt that a miracle just wouldn’t be happening.

One rookie plopped onto the Hubbard’s couch and shut his eyes. “You guys, it’s seriously time we consider that this baby i—”

“Don’t you dare!” Brot bellowed moving from the table. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence or else,” he warned. He too had thoughts of considering that Ellie wasn’t alive, but then he would take one look at Angie and Jesse who was just barely hanging on by a thread and he would start having faith that Ellie was indeed out there. Alive and unharmed in anyway.

“He’s right Monroe… It’s been a week since this baby has been kidnapped. The chances of us getting that call or finding her alive now… None. There’s no chance.”

Before Brot could chunk out another warning the lofts door slammed and like the wind somebody was charging for Marcus and posting him up against the wall. “What did you say?” The wind also known as Jesse asked. “What the hell did you just say?” He gritted.

Marcus gulped; the look in Jesse’s eyes was deadly. One wrong word and Marcus’s chance of ever making it as a detective would be a distant memory. “Noth—Nothing sir,” he stuttered. “I didn’t say any… anything.”

Jesse’s grip tightened around his neck and just seconds before Marcus windpipe could collapse he was dropped the floor. “Don’t let me hear you say ‘nothing’ ever again. Got that?” Jesse warned, standing over him.

“Yes… Yes sir,” he gasped, looking up at Jesse who suddenly seemed like a giant.

“Good!” He barked, popping his neck and shaking his shoulders. “As a matter of fact,” he started, turning around and facing everybody that was in living room. “I don’t want anybody speaking negative about my child. I don’t want to hear a damn thing negative about my baby. If I do, I guarantee you, the person who says it will have the misfortune of having to be an example of how crazy I can really get. Got it!”

A round of yes sir and no problem sir went up. Often times Jesse would just be bluffing to get the guys to stay focused and other times he would make good on his promise. Because of the severity of this case the guys knew this was no bluff nor one of his threats.

Jesse eyed them all once more before asking about the progress. “What’s going on? Have you found anything since I last came up here?”

Knowing everybody else was too afraid to answer him, Brot cleared his throat and shook his head. “No sir. There’s been no change.”

“Except the search party,” one chimed in. “They called it off. With no concrete trail or even the slightest hint that she’s still in PV, they shut down the operation.”

“Why wasn’t I told?” Jesse asked, looking around. “You all are suppose too consult with me and…” Jesse slammed his hands down on the top of the counter and dropped his head. He couldn’t take this anymore! He was tired and he was getting more and more afraid by the hour. “Who called it off?”

“The mayor,” Brot muttered, looking away.

Jesse closed his eyes and started rocking side to side. “I want the search back on. Screw what the mayor says!” He barked.

“Chief, the–”

“Angela is downstairs as we speak crying her out eyes for the gawd damned 6th day in a fricking row! Do you know how hard that is?! Huh? To watch your wife cry day in and day out for her child that should be here and not out God’s know where, do you know how it feels?” Jesse fussed, pacing around. “Get that search party back together and comb every inch of this place again. I want you to search until I say stop,” he barked, turning on his heel and heading to he and Angie’s room where he plopped down on the bed and buried his head in his hands.

Jesse didn’t know how much more of this he could take. He didn’t know if he could go another day watching his wife clutch onto the bear that Tad had given their daughter anymore. Watching as her face lit up with hope every time the door opened only for it to grow grim when she heard it was one of the others. Jesse was strong, but he just didn’t think he was strong enough to handle this anymore.

“Chief, somebody’s here to see you,” Brot announced poking his head in the door.

“Tell them now is not a very good time.” Jesse got up and went over to the dresser where he picked up a picture of a very pregnant Angie and himself. It was taken while they were out to dinner, days before she went to out of town. His and Angie’s hand were planted on her stomach and their smiles told a story of nothing but pure excitement. What he would give to go back to that day when they were happy and both of his girls were in his reach. Were safe.

Brot stepped into the room. “You’ll want to see this person…Trust me.”

He’d been so deep in that memory that he forgotten he wasn’t alone. Setting the picture down, Jesse opened the top draw of the dresser. “Brot, if it isn’t about El—”

“This woman says that a few weeks ago she was attacked by a man who wanted the whereabouts of Mrs. Hubbard,” Brot interrupted.

“Say what?” Jesse asked, turning around and following Brot out the room. When they stepped into the living room Jesse saw a woman about the same height as Angie and the color complexion of cocoa. “You wanted to see me?”

“Are you Jesse Hubbard, Angela Hubbard’s husband?” The woman asked softly, as she held the man standing next to her hand.

Jesse nodded and crossed his arms. “I am. And you are?”

The woman stepped closer. “My name is Dr. Kelly Owens and I… I uh… Scott,” the woman whimpered, turning into the man’s arms.

The man, Jesse assumed was the woman’s husband, wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear before moving to stand directly in front of her. “My wife believes that the same man that attacked her a few weeks ago is the same man that took your daughter.”

Perry cleared his throat and chimed in. “And if this man is the same one… Chief we might be too late.”